By Marcus Wylie
Generating and harnessing energy within an organisation isn’t just a fleeting or whimsical notion: it is a powerhouse that ignites the entire community.
At Insights, we recently brought our entire leadership team together in Poland, sparking inspiration to grow and thrive for our customers in the coming years. While setting strategies and rallying around core projects are crucial, it’s all too easy for people to burn out or fall into repetitive routines. We have set ambitious goals and rely on the energy of all our teams and people to deliver. Sustaining momentum in the workplace over the weeks, months, and years ahead is a real challenge.
That’s why our theme this year was “Energising Together.” By tapping into the collective and unique energies of our community, we aim to sustain momentum and continually break new ground. The concept of “energising together” empowers companies to outpace competitors and pioneer groundbreaking ideas. It is so infectious that it inspires communities to want more.
For me, the key factors of “energising together” as an organisation are:
Harnessing the unique energy of each individual. This is the essence of the “energise” part. To achieve true collective synergy, everyone must cultivate profound self-awareness, understanding their own sources of energy. This process is akin to a superhero discovering their powers and learning how to use them for the greater good, rather than to the detriment of themselves or others. It involves recognising one’s strengths, weaknesses, leadership style, and preferred ways of being led.
At Insights, we express these preferences through the language of color, with each person being a unique blend of Fiery Red, Sunshine Yellow, Cool Blue, and Earth Green. In Poland, we celebrated our 10 millionth Insights Discovery Profile completion. Now, everyone in the company is re-experiencing their profiles and refreshing their understanding of personal preferences. This practice is vital as we grow, ensuring we maintain a clear understanding of how we present ourselves as an organisation, the preferences we lead with, and where there might be gaps that lead to disconnects in our relationships.
Enabling those energies to bounce off one another is the essence of the “together” part. We aim to create an environment where individuals not only find their energy but also amplify it collectively, becoming greater than the sum of their parts. Carl Jung highlighted the difference between extraversion and introversion—people gain energy in different ways. Those who prefer introversion recharge from within, often through reflection, reading, or time away from the thick of the action. Conversely, those who lean towards extraversion thrive on quick action, the challenge of the moment and interaction with others.
“Energising together” means crafting a space where introverts aren’t drained by a fast-paced, bustling environment but can replenish their energy. Likewise, it ensures that extroverts aren’t isolated, working without an outlet for their dynamism. It’s crucial for everyone to understand and effectively use their unique leadership styles and preferences within the cultural context. There is no right or wrong way, yet their needs to be understanding and awareness. This balance fosters a dynamic and inclusive atmosphere where all types of energy can flourish to be the best version of themselves.
Nurturing a culture where everyone feels empowered to use their energy means creating an environment where taking calculated risks is not only accepted but encouraged. It’s about fostering a space where people feel safe to voice their opinions, knowing they’ll be supported every step of the way. This kind of culture sparks innovation and growth, allowing creativity to flourish and new ideas to thrive without the fear of failure holding anyone back.
At Insights, we weave golden threads that sustain our culture—like our daily check-in card game where we encourage moments of reflection, creative global events where we connect more deeply with our purpose and our culture, and our communication styles, so that as we deliver against our strategy we are doing it through collaboration with others towards purposeful outcomes. These elements create an authentic environment which allows everyone to bring their whole selves to the conversation.
Crafting an inclusive culture where everyone’s voice is valued means ensuring that every individual, regardless of their background, location, or preferences, feels heard and respected. It’s about creating a space where leaders transform into mentors and guides, empowering their team members to make decisions and take ownership of their roles. In this environment, everyone is seen as a leader, contributing their unique perspectives and expertise to drive collective success.
This inclusive approach empowers everyone to articulate and communicate the company’s strategy in a manner that resonates with diverse audiences, fostering unity and a shared sense of purpose throughout the organisation. Our strategic focus revolves around inspiring our practitioners by being inspirational ourselves. Each individual can express, in their unique way, how they contribute to this strategic direction.
Creating a dynamic learning environment where knowledge seamlessly intertwines with daily tasks is the ultimate goal. It’s all about nurturing a bond between employees and employers founded on mutual support and growth. You’re not just a cog in the machine; you’re encouraged and empowered to chase your dreams and evolve continuously, with your company by your side every step of the journey.
During our recent event in Poland, we infused gamification techniques throughout the experience. This helped us flex our muscles in embodying our ‘good day’ behaviors, all in alignment with our organizational values. The outcomes left everyone buzzing as we basked in the glow of progress, striving to become better versions of ourselves in each other’s company.
Championing innovation is critical for organisations. We’ve discussed the importance of feeling empowered to use your energy; the next step is to embrace bold ideas that push the boundaries of customer expectations. It’s about the thrill of crafting new products and solutions that surprise and delight. Together, we unleash a wave of ingenuity that propels us beyond the ordinary, shaping a future where the possibilities are endless.
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, generating and harnessing energy within an organisation is essential. Through energising together you too can create a future where possibilities are endless and collective potential knows no bounds. Not just meeting challenges but transforming them into opportunities for growth and success.
About the Author
Marcus Wylie is currently Head of Culture at Insights. Over the years he has led the creation of just about every product that Insights has to offer, partnering with some of the world’s leading organisations around the globe to build, pilot and implement new products. He holds vast experience in delivering training virtually and face to face with multi-hundreds of people, as well as facilitating intimate, purposeful and high-impact workshop experiences with leadership teams and Executives.
